The secret to a successful career change

Over the years, you’ve built up a wide variety of skills and knowledge, and there are parts of the job you could do with your eyes closed.

You know you’re good at what you do. But does anybody else?

Whether you’re going for a promotion, contemplating a career change, needing to meet industry regulations, trying to pull yourself out of a career low or just wanting solid proof of what you’re capable of, there is something that can help immeasurably.

It’s called RPL, or Recognition of Prior Learning.

You’ve put the hours on the job, now get the diploma for your wall.

Three little letters – but they make a big difference.

Recognition of Prior Learning is a process in which you can get nationally recognised qualifications for the work that you’ve already done. RPL acknowledges that a lot of learning happens on the job, not just in classrooms, and experienced workers shouldn’t have to waste time studying things that they’ve already learnt in their roles.

Nobody has time for that.

Instead, RPL gives you the opportunity to produce evidence that shows how you’ve already covered the areas within a qualification while in your job (or jobs) over recent years. Simple!

If you don’t have qualifications, it can be difficult to communicate what you can do. When you work in an industry for a long time, you get used to the language, practices, and standards within that world, and you forget that not everyone understands it on the outside. This is a mistake that Australians often make, and it can be a real problem – genuine skills get lost in jargon. Qualifications spell them out in plain English.

If you’re changing careers, qualifications take your skills and generalise them, so potential employers see that they’re transferrable.

If you’re seeking to move up in the industry you’re in, they consolidate and validate your abilities, in a format that can be understood and appreciated.

If you’re in a career slump, quals can be just what you need to get you through to the interview stage when you’re applying for different roles.

Getting qualifications through RPL means that, whatever your circumstances, you’re not just relying on your ability to try and explain yourself and what you can do. You’re not expecting an employer to understand everything you’re capable of, all in the space of a cover letter.